Late-Inning Meltdown Ends Marlins' Win Streak
July 8, 2014 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Morehead City Marlins News Release
HAMPTON, V.A.- Morehead City took a 7-3 lead into the eighth inning, but the Pilots rallied to score five times in the frame and hand the Marlins an 8-7 loss Tuesday - their first loss of the second half.
Left-hander Jordan Knutson was the first pitcher used in that eighth inning, coming on for Logan Hershenow who had pitched the previous 1.1 innings. Knutson allowed the first three base runners he faced to reach - one on an error, one on a walk and another on a hit by pitch. Head coach Sam Carel opted to go with Casey Eskew, who had been dominant this season in 11 appearances entering play, to try to mop up the mess, but he had no better luck.
Eskew allowed a run to score on a fielder's choice groundout, and another run scored on an error by Tyler Campbell. P.J. Higgins followed up with an RBI single, making it a 7-6 game, and Alex Close completed the comeback by plating the tying and go-ahead runs with a double to left field.
"They had the bottom part of the lineup up and we didn't take of business with that eight and nine guy," Carel said. When that happens, [and they] are able to turn the lineup over, you put yourself in a position that is hard to get out of."
The four-run lead the Marlins surrendered was tied for their largest blown lead of the season, and it came after Cal Quantrill and Hershenow battled to keep it a 7-3 game moving into the last two innings.
Quantrill pitched 5.2 innings and allowed just four hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out seven for, but that line does not tell the whole story.
Quantrill labored in his third CPL start, walking four batters and throwing a wild pitch. The four walks tripled his season total. Quantrill allowed multiple base runners in every inning except for the sixth, when he allowed just one before leaving the game with two outs. He allowed an unearned run in the first when Higgins drove in Garrett Brooks, who reached on an error, and also allowed lone runs in the second and fifth. All seven of his strikeouts came after those first two innings.
Despite his struggles at times in the game, he was still able to bare down and get the big outs when he needed them, and was on track for his third win in three starts when Hershenow relieved him with two gone in the fifth.
"He will tell you himself it was not his best stuff out there, but he was able to compete," Carel said. "Even when he doesn't have his best stuff, that is better than 95 percent of the guys that are out there. When you score seven runs for him, you expect to win."
Hershenow did not allow a run in his 1.1 innings of work, as he continues to impress out of the bullpen for Morehead City. He now has allowed just six earned runs in a team-high 27.2 innings of work, which is good for a 1.98 ERA.
Another area of continued strength for Morehead City on Tuesday was their aggressive offense. They again jumped to an early lead over their opponents, scoring three times in the first innings thanks to a two-run double from Johnny Caputo and an RBI single from Dalton Britt. They added another on a run-scoring single from Tyler Campbell in the fifth, and extended the lead when Eduardo Castro smashed his third home run of the season, and second in as many days to make it 6-3 in the fifth. Lombardi also drove in a run in that fifth inning with a sacrifice fly to make it a four-run game.
Castro finished the day 2-for-3 with a homer, two RBI, a walk and a double. He is hitting .344 in first 11 games with three homers, two doubles and 12 RBI.
Campbell, Caputo and Trent Leimkuehler each finished two hits apiece in the loss to Peninsula. For Caputo, this was his team-leading ninth multi-hit game.
Despite the loss, the Marlins still hold possession of first place in the East as they will travel to Wilson on Wednesday to take on the Tobs before returning home for a doubleheader with Wilmington Thursday.
"You have to move on," Carel said. "We told the guys after the game if we expected to go undefeated in the second half, that it was not realistic. We have to come out tomorrow and be ready to go."
First pitch on Tuesday at Fleming Stadium is at 7:05 p.m.
The Coastal Plain League is the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 18th season in 2014, the CPL features 14 teams playing North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. Furthermore, the CPL has had over 1,100 alumni drafted and 65 alums - including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander - make their Major League debut thus far. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to friend us on Facebook (at www.facebook.com/coastalplainleague) and follow us via Twitter (@CPLBaseball).
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Coastal Plain League Stories from July 8, 2014
- Late-Inning Meltdown Ends Marlins' Win Streak - Morehead City Marlins
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